Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1887-01-22
MARY'S ELOPEMENT.

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Face to face We sat for some time in The
ears, speeding acroS the country through
Ohio.
Old he was, but erect of figure, keen and
bright of eye, ruddy Of cheek. He sat well
forward on the seat as though accoutrements
still prevented any Longing, and I noted hix
for an @old sabre" in q moment He made
the first advance, with q preliminary "Hem!"
the passing of his left palm over the upper
lip, where the mustache ought to have been,
ard with a slight Irish accent.
BEG pardon, sir, but I think yer in the saz'
vice"
Alright you are" I replied, land if I'm not
mistaken you've been there, tool"
Then the right hand went to the forehead
In salute and the body became rigid.
@Thankee, sir! I'm proud to say I have.
and prouder to know I haven't lost the set
up yet. Forty-two years, eight months, five
days, man and boy, I served the country in
the field. Delany's my name-Sergeant De
lany, til cavalry-oncet -dragoons-an'
there's few officers or ould men Of the .ould
army that don't know Sergeant Delany q n
be willin' to speak a good word for him"
Then we talked and talked, he most,
through the long day. In the spirit begotten
of c~omradeship, in the patronage tho old
blade felt for the young soldier, he gave con-
fdences no other circumstance would have
called forth, and, taking the cream of his
story, the sum total was this:
"You could not have served so long and
escaped wounds" l said, to lead him on.
ITO be sure, no! But I haven't kept count.
I've me head on me shoulders, an a full com
of the loss of them don't count. Sure, we
take them in the line of duty-the way they
come.
Il was, if I do say it meself, as tight a lad
as ever straddled pigskin and wore blade.
cooked me hat, carried a can, slapped me
leg an winked at the girls. But I was caught
early and fast. Pm of Irish blood. ye see,
though I was brought over here while a bit
of a boy. But it's Irish I am, and so fghtin'
and love-makin's small credit to me; it's
natheral as brcathin,.
I'D just got me corporals stripes, and
were stuck up with 'em like I was a major
gineral, when the ould - dragons were
quartered at -, and there I met as nate an
Irish lass as ever wore leather, and In a
week I was a married man, and a betther
enlistment paper I never signed. I always
needed strict discipline; then I had it at homo
and while on duty, and it was the savin'
of me.
"Faith, it didn't seem longer than from
reveille to retreat afore a year slipped around
and I was a sergeant and the father Of q
daughter. Mary we called her, after tho
mother I loved well but was a troublin' son
to; and I al say it boldly, no purifier
creature ever came On earth; and the man.
ners of her as she growed, were that astonish-
in that though her mother were a well
hammered, brisk, modest woman always, and
I were ever a prompt, disciplined soldier, yet
where Mary got the high breedin' ways were
continual the worst of puzzle to me.
"There may have been and be men who
love their little ones well as I, but ther' were
never a man loved daughter bother since
God gave daughters to men. When she first
came l were some put out because she weren't
a boy, but I had no thought of that when I
found the tenderness of her baby heart. But
l taught her all a boy should know. She
could shwim, ride, shoot, skate afore she was
Z, and whistle like a canary. It's many's
the time I'd laugh when they'd tell me the
ould sayin' about 'whistlin girls;;' and I'd
always the notion of music, though mighty
little talent, but be hard work, afther nearly
drivin' me wife and all the garrison crazy
with me practicin', I learned to make a fair
fist, or mouth, with the fife, and could give
"Yankee Doodle" "Garryowen" and SIGH to
the satisfaction of me frinds and meself, and
to every one but the regular Numbers Of the
band. Well, she, Mary, could bate me hollow
Oh that fife in no time, and proud to the very
height of pride I was of her.
1--WE lived well and happy, when we weren't
fighting, till she were IL years ould. You
see, sir, you talkin' of wounds set me on
this trail, and I'll tell you how a man can get
a worse wound from a friend than ever the
bullet or sabre of an enemy can give him,
and how he can wound himself worse nor all.
"She was Is, es I said, and well edu-
Gated for her place in life. We were in
garrison then, and to fit her for takin' care Of
herself we let her go into the town to learn
good taste in dress like her.
"Well, Their were a young %leftenant came
to WI troop, then a gay, handsome, brave
young chap as ever you see. Barton be
name. respected him as al officer and I
loved him as a son.
at we're some ten months after he come,
when one night I went to my quarters at the
and Mary wasn't there to sit at the
table with me. That night before I went in
Leftenant Barton came to me with his bright
smile and friendly way, holdin' out his hand.
'Good-by, sergeant, says he, Pm off tonight
off where, sir? says ]. Il resigned two
weeks ago, and my papers has just come in
says he.
"That unsettled me. I'm hasty tempered
at times, and when I went home the wife says,
says she, You're late, but there's the illigant
stew for you
"'The levi fly away with your stew, Mrs.
Delany,' says I. where's my daughter?
"''Tain't one of me knows says she, Il
'spose she's KEEP late. Ate your stew, a
and don't be cursin' me, for I won't take it OF
you nor no man.
"I'm fond Of Irish stew, sir, and no woman
makes it better nor Mrs. Delany, but with
this and that l were so put out 1 never en-
joyed a bite less.